Footprints
by Mischief in Mink
Summary: IchiRuki oneshot collections.
1. Teardrops On My Guitar

**[This chapter has been partially rewritten and corrected in July 2012.]**

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**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach and the characters. The song used is Teardrops on My Guitar by Taylor Swift.**

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**Title: Teardrops on My Guitar**

**Word count: 775**

**POV: 1****st**** person, Orihime.**

**Genre: Angst/Romance**

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**1. Teardrops on My Guitar**

_He's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar_

_The only one who's got enough of me to break my heart_

"YOU BITCH!"

"ORANGE-HAIRED BASTARD!"

I spun around and immediately caught sight of the couple who was shouting at each other. It was not only today they got into a mini screaming match while walking to the classroom. Kurosaki-kun and Kuchiki-san. The most popular couple in school. Gossips about them spread so widely, they even circulated in the staff room; so popular the two of them were that if you didn't know their names or their faces, you might as well consider yourself dead.

My heart twitched as I watched Kurosaki-kun smack Kuchiki-san's head playfully. She returned the favour all too eagerly with a kick to his shin. He winced (though I knew it was just an act) before smirking at his petite girlfriend. He muttered something I couldn't hear into Kuchiki-san's ear before he scooped her, bridal-style, into his arms despite her ear-deafening protests. I sighed. They would go at it again in the classroom, for sure.

And Asano-kun would inadvertently bite the bait and put oil to the fire.

Then, the two of them would suddenly share the same mind set and kick Asano-kun out of the classroom before calling a truce.

I knew it all too well; there hadn't been a day on which they didn't bicker, after all. Some of us even saw it as part of everyday routine and didn't give a damn any more. But _I_ did give a damn.

I had liked Kurosaki-kun ever since…I didn't know when. Of course, his exterior appearance was enough to scare me off at first, but as time went by, I learnt how much of a big softie he actually was. It started with a crush…just a little crush…which escalated to something I'd call huge crush…and somewhere between the admiration and jealousy, it morphed into love.

That's why my world was torn apart when I knew that Kurosaki-kun and Kuchiki-san were going steady. I congratulated them, of course; Kuchiki-san was my best friend…and Kurosaki-kun was the person I loved…I should be happy to see them happy. My jealousy shouldn't be on their way to happiness.

But sometimes, I couldn't hold it anymore. There's just so much I could do at fifteen, which was, honestly, not much. There had been long and lonely nights, and there had also been tearful nights. It hardly made sense to me, the tears. Apparently, they had a mind of their own.

So, if you saw me with a bad case of lethargy and puffy eyes, you can be sure that Kurosaki-kun was in my mind the previous night.

_She'd better hold him tight_

_Give him all her love_

_Look in those beautiful eyes_

_And know she's lucky_

Kuchiki-san was kind, strong and pretty; she was the person Kurosaki-kun fell in love with, and I could see the reasons why.

Sometimes I wanted to hate Kuchiki-san. But I couldn't. I just couldn't. I knew it wasn't her fault to be loved by the person I loved. After all, Kuchiki-san deserved Kurosaki-kun. Who was I, a human who barely even knew what was on Kurosaki-kun's mind, to deserve him more than Kuchiki-san did?

So, every night, as I watched the stars and then moon from my windowsill, I always made a wish to the gods that she would always make him happy. So far, whichever deities who listened to me had been nice and kind to my wish. Kurosaki-kun always looked happy, much happier than he was before Kuchiki-san came around.

I was glad.

Or at least, I knew I was _supposed_ to be glad.

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"You bitch!"

"You bastard!"

I turned to glance at the familiar voices. It was another episode of Kurosaki-kun and Kuchiki-san quarrelling with each other yet again this morning. A sad smile flickered on my lips. They looked so funny when they were brawling. Kurosaki-kun's knotted eyebrows complemented Kuchiki-san's seething face in a comedic yet beautiful way. Sometimes, I wondered if they would ever stop doing it.

"Give it to me!"

"NO WAY!"

"For the love of God, give it to me, Rukia!"

Just as he shouted at his girlfriend, Kurosaki-kun caught sight of me. I could feel myself trembling from the fear that Kurosaki-kun would tell me off from watching their daily antics unfold, but instead of scowling at me, he instead flashed his trademark smirk and said, "Yo."

I just smiled so he wouldn't see…

…so he wouldn't see how much I was pained inside.

_Drew looks at me_

_I fake a smile so he won't see…_

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**Author's note: I should've not started this with high dose of angst…but oh well…**

**This is the first story of the series Footprints! Footprints is my project of IchiRuki oneshots collection! There will be 20 stories altogether in this series, I think…but the number may increase depending on the number of reviews I get…SO PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW! Tons of HUGS and LOVE for you who is willing to spend a minute to write me a review!**


	2. Follow The Light

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach and the characters. The song used is Follow the Light by Travis.**

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**Title: Follow the Light**

**Word count: 1043**

**POV: 2****nd**** person, Ichigo.**

**Genre: Romance/Fluff **

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**2. Follow the Light**

_And it's alright_

_Just follow the light_

_And don't be afraid of the dark_

You were awoken by an ear-deafening scream from inside your closet.

"Ichigo!" the girl inside your closet jumped out frantically. "Ichigo!"

You growled indignantly. Just what in the whole world she wanted? It was half past midnight, for crying out loud. Just what a normal person—or shinigami—wanted at this hour?

"Whaddaya want?" you scowled lazily, curling back beneath your thick warm quilt. The girl crawled closer to your bed and shivered, "M…my lamp went off…"

"SO WHAT?" you snapped, harsher than you wanted. You saw her wincing and you regretted it at once. "Sorry, but I'm sleepy, Rukia." you muttered, in a much softer voice. "Go back to sleep."

"I can't!" you heard her voice, quiet but shrill in the night air. You winced. "M…my lamp is broken! How can I go to sleep?"

"Gosh." you started to get annoyed—not that you weren't annoyed right from the beginning anyway. "Don't tell me you always leave your lamp on when you're sleeping all this time?"

"Yes." her quiet voice rang in the silence.

"No wonder why my dad said something about an abnormal increase in electricity bill," you groaned triumphantly. You added, "What are you? Five-years-old kindergartener?"

"Oh, shut up." you couldn't see it, but you were sure she was blushing. A smirk grew on your face. You just loved to tease and mock her. She was just too sweet when she got annoyed.

"So, what now? Don't tell me you want me to fix that damn lamp NOW?" you emphasized on the last word strongly.

"Nah." her answer surprised you, but you were relieved that at least she didn't expect you to wreak some havoc with her lamp right at that moment. "How about lending me your lamp?"

You rolled your eyes—you remembered how you had accidentally thrown your lamp out of the windows when a Hollow invaded your room last week. Yeah. Lend her your lamp your ass—you didn't even have a lamp to lend.

"Don't have. Thanks to a stupid Hollow last week."

"Then how should I sleep tonight?" she whined. "Ichigo, how if I just spread a futon here and leave your room light on?"

"Yeah right, and Yuzu will start knocking on my door when she wakes up in the morning—scolding me about how I don't put any effort in conserving energy." you retorted, half asleep. "Come on, Rukia, you're not a preschooler, surely you can sleep even without light."

"No."

"Try."

"No."

"Try."

"No."

"Oh, just try it, OKAY?" you bolted upright on your bed, screaming in frustration. You stared angrily at her and saw her scared-to-death face. You felt your heart softened a bit.

"Are you that scared of darkness?"

She nodded. Yes, she was.

"Then what should we do?"

Nobody seemed to come up with an answer. Then she started to speak, "Umm…let me sleep with you?"

"HECK AND HELL NO!" you choked, a rush of blood hit your face. Good thing it was dark, or else she would see you blushing. "No, Rukia. That was the last thing I'm going to do. No, no, anything except that."

You could see her pouting. Her eyes were bloodshot from sleepiness. Damn, if only she hadn't looked so damn innocent and cute when she was sleepy! You knew she wanted to sleep—she just couldn't. Shit, why did the lamp decide to stop working?

Another innocent look and you felt your heart betraying you. "Okay, okay." you let the words slipped from your mouth unconsciously. A happy glint glimmered in her violet eyes.

"Jump up." you said, ordering her to climb up your bed. She did, clutching her Chappy doll tightly as she took the empty space left on your bed. It was originally designed for one, so when she had curled up rather uncomfortably you found yourself curling like a cat in a too small basket—you could even hardly move for an inch. An annoyed growl was formed in your throat.

"Rukia." you muttered. "Move."

"I can't!"

A heavy sigh slipped from your mouth. The clock ticked. Forty past midnight.

"Move, I can't sleep this way."

"I can't…it's too cramped over here too."

"SO HOW?" you almost exploded—you were tired and sleepy and having your bed invaded wasn't the nicest idea to please you.

She shivered under your wild screaming. Fearfully she moved away towards the end of your bed. You could see her dainty feet dangling over the edge and her arms hung loosely beside her pink feet. Your heart twitched—she sure was sleeping very uncomfortably.

But you were sleepy and before you could do anything else the drowsiness took control and you slipped into the world of dreams.

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You were awoken by a soft, wispy voice from the end of your bed.

Forcing yourself to get up, you found Rukia muttering something in her sleep. You couldn't hear it at first—her babbling was very incoherent. But soon after you figured out the words that slipped out of her small lips.

"Ichigo,"

Your name. She was dreaming of you—or the red small sour fruits. You secretly hoped that it was you.

She was smiling in her sleep. You stared at her sleepily, unconsciously smiled too when you saw her peaceful and happy sleeping face.

"You're so stupid, Ichigo…"

Yes—she was dreaming about you. But now you felt like pushing her off the bed. Actually you were ready to do it—but the words following her involuntary insult drained all your anger in an instant.

"But, I love you."

You were sure that you were still dreaming. The clock ticked. A quarter past three.

A tiny smile glimmered on your lips. You hovered above her face, brushing off some strands of hair covering her face and gave her a sweet peck on her cheek. She stirred a little at the touch, but continued to dream. You smirked and lied just right beside her, watching over her as she slept.

Maybe, darkness wasn't so bad after all.

_In the moonlight you'll dance till you fall_

_And always be here in my heart_

_It's alright…_

_We're alright now… _

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**Author's note: I know second person POV seems strange, but I wanted to try it at least once so here it is! Hope I didn't suck so much! I'm personally quite happy with this story…ah, anyway, PLEASE REVIEW! Let me tell you that every minute you spend to write me a review is GREATLY APPRECIATED! –bow- Thank you very much for reading, and more thanks and love if you read and review…**


	3. All Good Things Come To An End

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach and the characters. The song used is All Good Things Come to An End by Nelly Furtado.**

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**Title: All Good Things Come to an End**

**Word count: 1230**

**POV: 1****st**** person, Rukia.**

**Genre: Angst/Hurt/Comfort**

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**3. All Good Things Come to an End**

_Honestly, what would become of me?_

_I don't like reality_

_It's way too clear to me…_

I felt a twinge of anger and loneliness as I leaned against the bathroom wall, gasping short breaths. I had just thrown out everything I had for breakfast into the toilet bowl and my head was pounding like hell. Clenching my eyes shut to suppress the pain, I felt a new urge to throw up whatever things remained in my stomach. So I did.

After I finished emptying my digestive system I knelt on the floor weakly, my hand holding my sore head as I winced in pain. Tears started to spill out. I was never a cry-baby but this was too much.

He left me last week.

This living thing that was growing inside my body was his. We were madly in love and before either of us could think clearly of what would happen later we had stepped across the line. And the result was this new life inside me. I wanted to hate it with all my beings because of what its father had done, but I couldn't.

I couldn't kill the baby of the man I still loved even until this second.

We were wrong. We were never ready to be parents yet the blazing fire of our love blinded both of us from the reality spreading out before our eyes. All in our mind was love, love and love, without even completely understanding what the real meaning of love was. It was our fault. My fault and his fault that now this baby was threading his or her way into this harsh world.

Actually even as unready as I was, I pledged to myself that I would not give up on this baby and I would learn how to raise this precious little soul. But Ichigo, he was scared of commitment and a few days after I told him I was pregnant with his baby, he said he was sorry and left with things unexplained between us. He never came back even once since then. My cell phone suddenly turned quiet without his texts and calls. But most importantly, my heart broke. I thought he would react just exactly the same way as me—that he would try to raise our child together. Heck and hell no—he left me instead.

I wanted to hate him with everything I had. But I couldn't. I loved him too much it hurt me to the core to think of the thing he had done to us. All good things come to an end, yes, but should all good things come to a horrible end?

I didn't think so. But in my case, it was horrific.

So here I was, kneeling on my bathroom floor weeping over my fate silently. If time could be reversed I would definitely go back to my halcyon days where I enjoyed life to the fullest with Ichigo. I wanted him to be with me. I didn't want him to sneak away from my life like a burglar in the middle of the night. He had stolen my heart into his hands and he brought it away when he left. And I was fully aware that I would never get it back. I would never be able to snatch it back from him and give it to someone else who deserved it more. No. He was a bastard, but I loved him.

It was amazing how strong love could be. It was love that lit up my dark days filled with morning sickness and midnight cravings which went weirder and weirder as the days rolled. It was love that calmed down my inner thunderstorm. It was love that kept me believing that tomorrow was always a different day and maybe it would be better than today and yesterday. It was love that distanced me away from spiteful thoughts of killing the baby and ended my misery.

It was love that told me I must go on no matter what, that I could never take this baby's life away.

Because this child was Ichigo's.

I didn't really know which one was bigger—my love to Ichigo or my love to my child. I really wanted to erase them both from my life story and open a new chapter where I could spill all good things into it and live happily ever after, but my unconditioned love for those special persons erased that thought instead, and I chose to walk the winding path where rocks and thorns made me stumble in every step I took.

But I didn't care.

I gathered up myself onto my feet and stumbled like a drunken lady to my bedroom, then I collapsed onto my soft, fluffy bed. As I gripped onto the thick quilt that covered my bed I remembered again the night when this baby was conceived, and all in an instant memories of Ichigo surfaced again in my mind. Tears welled up my eyes as the live album of him opened up wide vividly in my imagination. I closed my eyes and tried to push away the imaginary Ichigo gently, but he stayed there like a stubborn crud at the corners of my bathroom. I sighed heavily.

Ichigo was always with me, no matter what.

And that was enough reason for me to keep holding on and be strong for his child.

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Today was the day my child was born.

It was a cold winter day with snow falling all over the land ever since dawn. Inoue had driven me off to the hospital the night before and as soon as I had been assigned to a room she set up her own camp base just beside my bed, proudly showing to me her reversible sleeping bag which was soft pink on one side and mauve on the other side. I laughed when she showed it to me for the first time. She grinned happily as she snuck into the thing and bid me goodnight. The next morning she was awaken by my silent screaming of pain.

In the afternoon, my daughter was born. She was beautiful, and with her distinct orange hair she would forever reminded me of her father. When I held her for the first time she blinked back at me, revealing two beautiful amber orbs that shone under the lamplight. I wondered why she should look exactly the same like her father—it must be some kind of curse, a curse that would always keep his memories alive in my mind. Nevertheless, I loved my child just like how much I had loved her ever since I knew that she was alive in me. I didn't give a damn anymore about her hair and eyes colour. No. I loved this baby and I would always love her like I was doing now, no matter what. She was the concrete truth of the love between me and her father—how would my love ever wither for such a wonderful being? It wouldn't, because I loved her—and her father—more than anything in the whole universe…

I leaned to kiss my daughter's forehead and whispered, "Thank you for giving me this child, Ichigo."

"I love you…"

_Flames to dust_

_Lovers to friends_

_All good things come to an end…_

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**Author's note: I've never written anything about having a child before, and I obviously have no experience about it so if this is rather off I'm very sorry. Besides, my mind was a whirlpool of chaos when I wrote this—my internet portal was infected by virus (how it got infected I don't know) and my antivirus unfortunately went crash…but anyway, I like how this story turned out! I hope you like it too and please review!! Thank you very much!! –hug-**


	4. Houkiboshi

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach and the characters. The song used is Houkiboshi by Yunna.**

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**Title: Houkiboshi**

**Word count: 2079**

**POV: 1****st**** person, Rukia.**

**Genre: Hurt/Comfort**

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**4. Houkiboshi**

_When I think of you, my chest begins to hurt_

_I want to meet you right now_

_But I can't fly through the sky_

A smile was plastered on my face. And it was not because of the Chappy cardigan, skirt and sneakers I had bought during my shopping spree today.

I was sure the waiter had given me a strange look the moment he saw me smiling. There must be something scary, creepy, in my smile. I didn't care. My eyes fell on this particular dessert named 'strawberry sundae' in front of me.

I didn't know since when, but suddenly I found myself crazy over the small red fruits named strawberry. I took my spoon and shoved it into the ocean of frozen cream, fruits and jelly. I scooped a considerable amount and ate it. Sweet, but cold as winter. My smile grew wider.

_Ichigo, do you know how similar you are with this strawberry sundae? Well, minus the smoothness…_

The glass was empty in three minutes. Still smiling, I packed my things into my Chappy handbag and walked out of the small café. I glanced at the waiter who brought me my order earlier—he was still staring at me strangely…and rather fearfully. I sighed. Humans. They never understood.

_As I complain about how hateful the rain was_

_Even now I still remember what you said_

_How, after the rain, the night sky is filled with beautiful stars_

_Thinking of that, I could even come to like the rain_

None of us liked rain so much. We loved snow, but not rain. Rain brought cries to little children playing in the park, scowls to adults coming back from work, an annoyed look to his crumpled face, and an emotionless one to my face. One more, rain brought back the memories we wanted to forget more than anything in this whole world.

And now, the sky was angry and decided to cry over whatever upset it. Big drops of water pelted the plastic roof above me. I sighed as I glanced at my watch. Six forty five pm. The dinner started at seven. My feet started to shuffle uncomfortably. I didn't want to go past the curfew—simply because I didn't want the family to delay their dinner just because of me, and I didn't want Isshin and Yuzu to be worried. Why?

The last time I went back home late Isshin rushed at me the moment I stepped in as he screamed of how he thought I was kidnapped and raped. And Yuzu…she was crying a mini river on the dining table, mainly because of Isshin's non-stop panic rant about my kidnapping and raping. I coughed hard. As if I would let filthy humans touch my sensitive parts that easily!

The scary thoughts applied not only to me, but to Ichigo as well. Once he went back home late and found his dad and littlest sister were crying over the thought of him being abducted by aliens and cooked into Ichigo chop.

You see how easily things got out of hand if someone went past the Kurosaki house's curfew.

The bus hadn't come yet. I took another swift glance at my Chappy watch—a birthday gift from Inoue. She had given it along with a cute Chappy t-shirt and a Chappy doll wearing white dress with small strawberries all over it. I wondered how she was able to point out my obsession over strawberries.

It was six fifty five. I kicked the pillar in frustration and yelped in pain. Good thing I was the only person in the bus stop, which was a little bit weird—this area happened to be quite crowded in the afternoon. I rambled towards the nearest bench and dropped myself, still wincing in pain.

The rain hadn't stopped yet.

I stared at the black sky. Ash-coloured clouds were marching fast above, still dripping raindrops to the earth below. Lucky me, there was no thunder. Rain itself was bad enough—an addition of thunders was completely unneeded. My legs swinging as I leaned forward, my hand on my chin. By the way, where the hell was the bus?

About ten minutes later, the bus finally came. I sighed in relief and quickly boarded, not forgetting to glance at my watch yet once again. Eight past seven. I was a dead meat. I sneezed once—probably because of the coldness around me, or because of the panic quarrel going on in Kurosaki house. Shivering at the last thought, I wondered what they were thinking this time. Seeing how he and Yuzu went crazy over National Geographic this week…they might think I was preyed by eagle and fed to the baby birds…

I sneezed once again.

I wondered what Ichigo thought.

_If I could become a comet_

_I would surely go flying through the sky_

_Lighting you up and passing through the sky_

_I would surely stay by your side at any time_

"I'm home."

"Oh, Rukia-chan!!" Isshin rushed towards me with his arms open, tears dripping from his eyes. Yuzu trailed closely behind her father, crying as well. Damn. I should have known this would happen. Now I couldn't wait to hear what they had thought of my lateness.

"Rukia-chan! We thought you were run over by a lorry…" Yuzu cried as she hugged me tightly. Thank you, Kami-sama, it was not the eagle one. But still, it was horrible. "By the way, do you know where Onii-chan is? He hasn't come back yet…"

"Yes, do you know where he is?" Isshin sobbed, tears hanging on his beard. It was funny in a way I could never explain. "He was in his room the last time I saw him…but when I called him for dinner he had vanished…"

I tensed. The only thing that would cause Ichigo to disappear without any warning was Hollow or Arrancar—whichever sought for trouble. Yuzu had started crying frantically again, screaming something about burglar and hostage. This was getting out of hand too fast—I had to do something about it, NOW. So I excused myself quickly from the family and hit the road once again, ignoring the hysterical scream from Isshin, ignoring the rain that soaked me wet to my bones. Good thing I had left all my new stuffs in the house. All I had with me was only my handbag, which was fortunately waterproof.

I knew I just had to find the carrot head before Karakura was flooded with Yuzu's little river of tears. Not that this small town wasn't going to get flooded if she stopped crying anyway, seeing how much rain the sky poured down today. Damn. I wondered why I didn't even sense the reiatsu—was I too engrossed in my shopping? Was I fallen too deep in thought over the stupid bus that wouldn't come? And why in the whole universe Soul Society didn't send me an order if there really was a Hollow or Arrancar around? When I took my cell phone out I realised why—the battery was dead.

"Damn!"

* * *

I gulped a pill of Chappy and quickly rushed ahead of my gigai. "Chappy, go find some shelter! But don't go back to the carrot head's house!"

"Understand!" Chappy said as she turned at opposite direction. I saw her ducked into a small cake shop before she disappeared from my sight.

She was taking advantage of me and my wallet…

Not that I gave that much damn, though. All in my mind was Ichigo, Ichigo, Ichigo. Where the hell was he? Wandering around like a moron in the middle of the rain wasn't something I really wanted, surely. I suddenly regretted teaching him how to control his reiatsu. Usually, it was easy to find him because of his ever-flowing reiatsu. But after he mastered the technique to control reiatsu, it was damn hard to locate where he was.

Too much of good thing is bad for you.

I seriously felt like a complete idiot, searching for someone invisible. Where the hell was he? Where?

Twenty minutes in the middle of the rain and I had sneezed, like, a million times. Damn it, Ichigo. I seriously would make you pay for this later. I wished I could sense his reiatsu, somewhere, but no. Nothing. A thought flashed in my mind—was he killed? Ah, no. Ichigo wasn't that kind to be killed easily. He was always close to death, yes, but death seemed to back away every time it was close to him. Lucky bastard.

This was getting futile, I realised, so I headed right to Urahara shop. Maybe Urahara and Renji knew something about the Arrancar or Hollow that invaded Karakura this afternoon…

* * *

"NO HOLLOW OR ARRANCAR?!"

I practically spurted my tea right straight at Renji's face. From the look in his eyes, I was sure he was going to kill me. But I ignored it. Ichigo was my first priority, set aside all other things. My childhood friend sighed.

"Yes. If there was, I surely would have go and settle it down." Renji said, lifting his arm to clean his face with his kimono. "What's up?"

"Ichigo's gone." I replied quickly. "I thought there was a Hollow or Arrancar, so…"

"Geez. Don't you think he might go to his classmate's house?"

"No way. His family said he disappeared without telling them anything."

"Doesn't he always do it?"

"No. He always tells at least his sisters every time he goes out for non-shinigami business. So…"

Urahara entered the room with a plate of shiratama in his hands. Even shiratama which happened to be my favourite snack couldn't divert my mind from thinking about Ichigo. Urahara dropped onto his butt beside me, taking one shiratama and started chewing. After he swallowed the first bite he turned to face me and said, "Don't you think he might go for training? Just like what he did the last time he vanished…"

My mind recalled the time when Ichigo disappeared for training with the Vizards. Could it be the same case this time? I pondered for a few seconds before I got on my feet and said, "I think I'll give it a try."

With a wave of goodbye to the two male shinigami I jumped out of the window into the rain, dashing straight ahead towards the warehouse where the Vizards usually stayed and trained.

* * *

Now I felt like a complete idiot again.

How in the whole world could I enter this barrier? I had tried some kidou spells but it fired the spells back at me. One even almost burnt my butt, if it wasn't for the raindrops that extinguished the fire spell right in time. Ugh, seriously Ichigo, you're gonna pay for this!

The rain fell hard on my head, my shoulders and the ground around me. I sighed. Should I leave? But now I knew that he was inside—his reiatsu was filtered by this barrier but it was unmistakably his. Also…what would I say to the Kurosaki family if I left now? That I didn't find Ichigo? I seriously could never say it to a crying Yuzu. I just had to get him back, no matter how. I tried another kidou spell and again, I failed. Consumed by frustration, I kicked the damned barrier and ended up jumping around in a circle, wincing in agony.

How many times had I injured my foot today?

I hung my head in defeat. I couldn't get in; neither could I go back to the Kurosaki clinic. So I ended up sitting on the ground in front of the warehouse with the rain hitting my whole body hard. I shivered in the coldness of the night. If it wasn't because of Ichigo I would have left, but it was him I was waiting for, and even if I should wait for the whole century I would do it. I didn't know the reason why he suddenly decided to vanish and train with the Vizard again, but I was sure that he had good explanation to justify his disappearance.

He was always carrying the entire burden by himself. Never once he asked me to split the load on his shoulders with mine.

I knew the best I could do was waiting for him by his side, and be there when he fell.

_You are always fighting something alone_

_Being by your side is the best I can do…_

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**Author's note: So…yeah. Forget the lyrics—I was having too much fun with this and without me realising I had gone astray from my original plot. Oh yeah, I've just realised that my one-shots are getting longer and longer in each update! Ahh! I'm not sure whether it's good or not but I hope you'll like it, be it long or short. Anyway, please review!! Your reviews are very precious to me!! Thank you very much for reading, double thanks with cheese for reading and reviewing!**

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**Preview of next chapter:**

**Title: One Year Ago**

**Genre: Angst**

**Summary: Dear diary, I don't know whether I will be able to write this to the end, seeing how much tears I have been pouring since this afternoon. But I have to record this. I have to record this as pain…**


	5. One Year Ago

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach and the characters. The song used is One Year Ago by Lene Marlin. The song Rukia listened to on the radio is I Remember You by Yui. I use the translation so everyone will understand what it means.**

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Title: One Year Ago

**Word count: 974**

**POV: 1****st**** person, Rukia.**

**Genre: Angst**

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**5. One Year Ago**

_The dreams that she had inside_

_Have gone away_

_Will they ever come true?_

**February 15, 2009**

Dear diary,

I don't know whether I will be able to write this to the end, seeing how much tears I have been pouring since this afternoon. But I have to record this. I have to record this as pain.

He was found dead this morning.

It is amazing that I'm not in ICU right now. My heart almost burst the moment I heard it from Ichigo's crying father. My head started to spin in agony and I felt like it's just some other nightmare. No. He can't be dead. Not after he proposed me yesterday…

I didn't believe it until in the afternoon I saw his stiff body, laid in a coffin, covered with a white cloth.

The sight numbed me into a state beyond pain. I could not cry.

My fingers traced his handsome figure that would forever be engraved in my mind. He was cold, but he looked so peaceful, as if he was only sleeping and not going away forever. I removed the white cloth that was covering him just to find out a large, bloody gash that dug deep into his chest.

From that moment on, I could not hold the tears back anymore. I fell onto my knees, my hand holding his lifeless one, sobbing out loud. I could feel an invisible string knotted my lungs. It hurt. It hurt so badly—my lungs almost exploded. Later I found myself on the sofa, obviously because I had fainted after crying a river beside his now dead figure.

He's gone.

I don't know what I should do…he had just proposed me yesterday, yes, yesterday. He said he loved me. He said he would always be with me, protecting me.

He said he loved me.

Oh God, I really want to die…

_You promised you'd stay together_

_But the hope she once had_

_So unreal_

**March 15, 2009**

Dear diary,

It's exactly one month after Ichigo left from my life. I can't tell how much I was hurt, neither can I describe the pain that seemed to be slicing my heart into pieces. He was gone, yes, he was gone, and even after one month, the wound he left doesn't seem to heal any soon.

I still remember him…his laughter…his smirk…his love…

Geez, now I start to cry again.

Ichigo…I still love you.

I miss him badly. He's all I see in my dreams. He's all I think about, day and night. When I wake up I think of him. When I eat I think of him. When I go to work all in my mind is him. Even when I need to use the toilet, the thoughts of him stay in my mind.

I remember you. I will always remember you, Ichigo.

Are you here? Floating around me with your angel wings, trying to console me?

Are you far, far away, oblivious that I'm missing you like crazy I could die?

They killed you. It's not fair, Ichigo. It's not fair. When you're gone, my dreams, my hopes, my own small sunny world collapsed into nothing. I found myself trying to gather pieces of you that still remain with me. I put them all in a beautiful casket, hiding it away amidst my old clothing. When I miss you I always open it, fingering all the evidence of your existence in this world, remembering that there was once a man named Kurosaki Ichigo here, living, caring for me lovingly.

Oh no. It's my favourite sombre song again on the radio. Seriously, I'm crying every time I listen to this song. But I love it. It reminds me that you're not far away. You're here, with me. Deep inside the chamber of my heart that I reserve for you forever.

_I don't want to say goodbye_

_Cause when I close my eyes_

_We're together again_

_I remember you…_

Do you know how beautifully and softly the song fills this room? It soothes my mind. It makes me believe that even when we're worlds apart, you stay with me forever.

I remember you.

Hey, Ichigo.

I'm still wearing the ring you gave me last month.

And I will never take it off, except in times I want to see the beautifully engraved words on its inside.

_'Kurosaki Rukia – my wife and my best friend'_

_She managed to fight the tears_

_But the pain inside_

_She can't hide_

**February 14, 2010**

Dear diary,

One year from the day Ichigo proposed me. One year. Time sure flies, like everybody says.

But his memories stay with me. They never fly away. And I will never let them fly away.

He's with me. I know it.

How am I supposed to move on? I don't know. I'm not even sure that I want to know. I sound like a loser but still, I love Ichigo. Even when he's dead, even when he's no longer by my side. Nobody can ever replace him from my heart.

I wish I can turn back time to when he was still with me, loving me, caring for me deeply. I miss him so much I feel like dying.

The beautiful ring he gave me exactly one year ago has some very fine scratches now, but nevertheless it was as beautiful as ever. It adorns my finger so perfectly like nothing else will, and it's not only because of its austere beauty. It's because of the love etched tightly in it, and the sweet memories it holds.

God, I know this is impossible, but please hear me, please hear my prayer even just for once.

_I wish today is one year ago._

_She wishes today was one year ago_

_When you cared so much for her, loved her so…_

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**Author's Note: Umm…yeah. Angst. Short chapter too…I'm gonna bang my head to the wall. I'm so damn angsty lately…sorry for the late update again. My mid-year exam is coming and I really need to work a bit harder to save my butt. Like usual, please review!! Thank you very much for all the support…I appreciate it so much I can cry. Please drop me a review and make my day. :)**

**PS: No more angst for the next chapter! I'm gonna write something as sweet and fluffy as marshmallows! –wink-**

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Preview of next chapter:

**Title: I Remember You**

**Genre: Romance/Comfort**

**Summary: Ever since they graduated from their high school, Rukia had never seen Ichigo again. But ten years later she realised that she still remembered him and she wanted him to come back to her life.**


	6. I Remember You

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach and the characters. The song used is I Remember You by Yui.**

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**Title: I Remember You**

**Word count: 2048**

**POV: 3****rd**** person.**

**Genre: Romance/Comfort**

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**6. I Remember You**

_The days changed and went by_

_I remember the sun like it was yesterday_

_Ne, I can still hear you_

_"See you again, Ichigo!" the raven-haired young lady in beautiful crimson dress waved at the orange-haired man as she got off his car. "Promise me you'll write me an e-mail later!"_

_"Yeah." he grinned, his hands still resting on the steering wheel. "See you around, Rukia."_

_"I will miss you!" she shouted as she started to walk towards her house. "Make sure to keep in contact, okay?"_

_"Sure." he replied again, the same grin was still pasted on his handsome face. "Friends forever."_

_"Yes." she said, seeming to forget how cliché the phrase was, "We're friends forever."_

She laughed silently to herself as she flipped open her high school yearbook, remembering the good old days. It seemed just yesterday that they started high school and all its drama. The memories of their two-yearly school carnival were still etched clearly in her mind, as well as the memories of their camps, night trip and Valentine day celebration. But above all, the prom night was the one she could remember the most. And she highly doubted she would ever forget it.

Her mind floated back to her old lover, the popular guy in the whole school, Kurosaki Ichigo. Girls were always swooning over him, but the lucky one who captured his heart was a midget named Kuchiki Rukia. She wasn't the most beautiful girl ever existed, but true that she was stunningly captivating. Her raven tresses always trailed behind her like silky strands and her violet eyes would make the amethysts ashamed of their glow. She had the most interesting complexion her schoolmates ever knew—her skin was as pale as snow yet as radiant as the moonlight, with nice blushes of peach pink on her fine cheeks. Her long eyelashes curled perfectly like a doll's, her nose was small but sharp in a beautiful way, and her lips had the shape of a rosebud. She had very petite body and almost flat chest but strangely, because of the curves that shaped her body perfectly she still looked very appealing to guys.

And Ichigo happened to be one of the guys who were captivated by her beauty.

He immediately made her his girlfriend, afraid that other guys would snatch her away if he didn't act fast. And there it was, two years and a half of their relationship had made them more than just friends. They were lovers and also brother and sister. They trusted each other like nobody else did. People always talked that they were a match made in heaven. Their life was flawless and easy, like a bed full of roses.

But all good things came to an end, so did their relationship.

Rukia smiled to herself as she remembered the day Ichigo came running at her holding a stack of paper. He had been accepted in a prestigious university in United Kingdom through a scholarship programme. Not an entirely shocking achievement, actually, seeing as how he did exceptionally well in his exams.

The shocking part was that their relationship had come to an end. Neither Rukia nor Ichigo believed in long-distance relationship. Not that they didn't believe each other, but simply because they couldn't stand being far away from each other if their status was still boyfriend and girlfriend. One of them would either die or go insane before meeting the other again if they were kept apart for too long when their hearts were still as one.

So they parted, for their own good.

She remembered how she promised that she wouldn't cry. That she wouldn't end all the good times they shared together with a series of crying strikes. She also remembered of how she could never say the word 'goodbye' to her old lover—waving her hand to say it silently was already hard enough to do.

She never said goodbye to her lover. Because she knew that he would always stay in her heart, even until now, ten years after she last saw him.

_The days seem so cloudy now_

_Passing by one after another_

Life was different without Ichigo. Rukia was a cloudier person after he departed for UK. Her friends were constantly worrying about her, and some even blaming Ichigo for causing her to grow thinner and thinner. Now that she remembered it again, Matsumoto was practically bitching about it everyday. She chuckled. Back then, she was popular as a super petite girl because of her extreme shortness and thinness. Every lunch break, her friends were busy trying to stuff her with a lot of bacons, hash browns and omelettes.

They said if they didn't do it, she would turn into a skeleton in no time.

Ichigo did send some e-mail to her, but it was usually short and obviously written in a hurry. She understood, though. He was taking double major in architecture and interior design and even something as stupid as Kon knew how tough they were. Now she stood up, rummaging through her drawer to find the pieces of his e-mails. She had always printed his e-mail every time she got one—she knew they had to be there somewhere. After sorting some old papers, she found some wrinkled pieces of his printed e-mails, torn and dog-eared. She flattened them a bit then started to read.

The date was faded away, too blurred to read. The body of the mail was still legible, though.

_Hey Rukia!_

It was so typical of him. Minus the romance.

_It's super hectic here. I can barely sleep. My professor wants me to hand up some designs tomorrow, and hell, I haven't even finished one. I'm sketching with my right hand and typing with my left hand…man, I type like a snail._

Rukia snorted. She didn't have to read the rest of the mail to recall his words next—later he would whine about how much the university had weighted him, and how he could barely eat there. He said he ate too much bacon and he would never want to see bacon again for his whole life.

Well, he did freak out when Rukia told him to bring the bacon home in her reply. He called her immediately, screaming that he had seen enough bacon for a lifetime, and the bacons would rot anyway before he reached Japan. Rukia was almost rolling on the floor, laughing, but he realised his mistake before his ex-girlfriend died of laughing. He had thanked her instead later.

He said he missed her. She said she missed him too. But she didn't hate bacons. Yet.

Rukia flipped to the next e-mail. It was a much newer one. He said he was tired as hell and the school was getting the best of him. When she came to the part where he was telling her about how a girl called him PMSing her laughter burst again. She knew that Ichigo could be such a pain in the butt when he was moody, but nevertheless, she loved him. Even when he was PMSing or having something crawled up his ass and died, she still loved him.

Even until now, ten years later, she still loved him.

Now that she thought about it, she had never met Ichigo again. He must have graduated now, but from the last time she heard some news about him, he stayed in UK because he had had a good job over there. Rukia could just wish him the best, but she couldn't help wondering why he never visited her when he went back to Japan. Maybe he was too busy? Maybe he forgot about her? 

No way. He might be busy, but he still occasionally mailed her. He even said how he missed her so much.

How could it be that he never visited her?

She didn't want to know the answer.

She missed him so much.

_We're not going to cry_

_We waved each other goodbye silently_

_You melted into the sunset_

_But I remember you_

She took yet another e-mail. It was also one of his newer mails, seeing from the layout of her inbox printed on the paper. The date on the top of the paper spelled November 17. Exactly a few years before, their prom night was held in a prestigious hotel in the heart of the town.

Instead of reading the e-mail, she remembered back the day when she last saw Ichigo. She didn't go to the airport on the day he departed for UK because she couldn't bear seeing him go away. The prom night was the last time she saw her old lover, in all his glory.

The whole night belonged to them only. Never in a second had they released each other's hands. They spent the night together, palms bound in a seemingly unbreakable bond, be it when they were dancing, chatting or even drinking. Well, except when Rukia had to go to the toilet because she drank too much…

She remembered when the night finally ended, Ichigo had kissed her so lovingly and so passionately like he was going to leave her forever. Part of it was true—he was going away from her and her life. But she didn't believe that it would be forever. He would come back, no matter what. Her Ichigo would be back sooner or later.

He had said how much he loved her.

She had replied that she loved him even more.

Which Ichigo answered, "My love for you knows no end."

Right at that moment, she knew that she would either end up spending the rest of her life with Ichigo or being alone until the death came. They were bound too closely for anything to separate. Maybe there were oceans and lands in between their bodies but their hearts were always as one.

A smile crept up her beautiful face. She remembered him.

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The doorbell rang, yanking her back to reality. She stood up, still smiling to herself, and walked towards the front door.

As soon as she opened her door a huge bouquet of red roses greeted her face and senses, blowing her mind away. A man almost as tall as her door was standing behind the crimson ocean of petals.

"Guess who?"

Her smile grew wider as she threw herself to his embrace. He enveloped her body with his arms, the bouquet rested on Rukia's back as he drew her closer. She tiptoed and whispered, "Ichigo…"

He laughed and whispered back, "I don't know why, but I miss you too much."

She smirked to his shirt, "Same here. How come you never visited for these past ten years? I thought you have forgotten about me."

"No." Ichigo rested his chin on her head. "I remember you, Rukia. I thought that you had moved on and I didn't want to see you walking with some other guy." he added, blushing furiously.

"Why you never asked me in the first place?" Rukia's voice was laced with curiosity.

"How could I ask such a thing?"

She just smirked. "Well then, why is it in such a sudden that you have this urge to visit me?"

"I don't know." he replied amusedly. "Well, if I don't see you to release all this feeling that strangles my whole senses I will go to a mental hospital soon."

She just giggled. "Lame."

Ichigo raised his free hand and held Rukia's chin up so that she was staring at him. She looked back at him, her violet eyes shining brightly. She had never changed from the last time he saw her—only prettier and slightly slimmer. She was still as beautiful as ever, and those violet eyes were still glowing like purple fireflies.

"I love you." he sighed, slowly closing the gap between them. "I still love you, Rukia."

"I know. Me too." she replied nonchalantly. "That's why I never moved on. I always remember you."

Ichigo flashed his trademark smirk once again and closed the gap between them. Rukia responded back, her small arms wound around his neck.

He was still the same Ichigo she remembered.

He was the Ichigo she kept in her heart.

_I don't want to say goodbye_

_Cause when I close my eyes_

_We're together again_

_I remember you_

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**Author's note: So this is it! The sweet fluffy update of Footprints! :D I really enjoyed writing this chapter—it's simply so much fun! I hope you enjoy reading it too. Like usual, please review!! And for those readers who also read my other story Final Distance, sorry but I'm not able to update it now. I'm still working on the next chapter…it's a very hard chapter to write. I promise I'll work extra hard on that one! For now, please enjoy this story first. Thank you and hope you like this chapter!!**

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**Preview of next chapter:**

**Title: Iris**

**Genre: Romance/Drama/Angst**

**Summary: Angels. What are they? I never believed in the existence of angels, but when fate sent a raven-haired angel into my world, I realised that slowly but surely I fell in love with her. But again, love between angels and humans were forbidden, be it on earth or in the heaven…**


	7. Iris

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach and the characters. The song used is Iris by Goo Goo Dolls.**

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**Title: Iris**

**Word count: 2362**

**POV: 1****st**** person, Ichigo.**

**Genre: Romance/Drama/Angst

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**7. Iris**

Angels.

I knew nothing about angels. They are always said to be holy beings, the servants of deities. Pictures of them always show some winged creatures that resemble humans dressed in oversized white clothes, sometimes holding musical instruments in their hands. Angels are there to help you, to lighten your burdens and to wipe tears away from your eyes.

But still, I didn't believe in the existence of angels. They were too good to be true. If angels really existed, then why hadn't one come to save my mother's life?

Angels were only part of fairytales to me.

_And I'd give up forever to touch you_

_Cause I know that you feel me somehow_

_You're the closest to heaven that I'll never be_

_And I don't want to go home right now_

Angels were fairytales.

Until heaven and fate decided to send an angel into my life.

This angel came in the form of a new student in my class. Her name is Kuchiki Rukia. She wasn't the most beautiful girl ever existed, neither she was the kindest person God had ever created. Actually, the more you knew her, the more you realised how evil she was. God, she kicked, she screamed, she yelled and she ordered you as if you were her servant. But, people loved her. She had this aura that softened people's hearts when they were around her. She was appealing, and no matter how hard you tried to ignore her, you couldn't help but getting more interested in her.

And when I got close enough to her, I accidentally unveiled her clandestine true identity.

She was not a human being.

The first time I knew this was when I saw her floating in the sky, staring at the sun sadly. And…she had wings, for God's sake. Wings. No human being had wings. At first I thought my eyes were doing tricks to me, but no. It was her. She looked as if she was on the verge of crying, but I didn't know why. She always looked content and jolly every time I saw her at school.

I really wanted to fly to her side and asked her why. But…I didn't have the wings to fly. And also, I actually partly believed that I was daydreaming.

I knew it—I had to ask her.

The next day I approached her and surfaced my curiosity and much to my surprise, she admitted it. At first I thought she was only joking, that she only tried to add more fun to my illogical thesis. But from the look in her eyes…I knew she was more than just serious.

Later she told me all of her perfectly covered secrets.

She was an angel exiled from heaven temporarily because she had done a task wrongly. But the more time she spent in human world, the more attached she became and the more reluctant she was to come back to heaven when the time finally came. She admitted that she never thought the mortal world could be this fun, compared to heaven. Heaven, according to her personal opinion, was not a land of milk and honey like people usually fantasised. Heaven had its own battles and conflicts too, and what surprised me the most was when she said that human world was much better than heaven that people usually exalted.

I couldn't help but consoling her, telling that it might only be a false feeling, because an angel would never belong to a human world. Angels are divine beings, and they forever belong to heaven. How shocked I was when her tears fell was beyond explanation.

She said she didn't want to leave this world. She said she wanted to stay, even if it meant that she would be a mortal, sinful human. She said that she didn't care about sacredness anymore, all she wanted was love and someone to care. Apparently, in heaven nobody gave her enough love to survive. She told me that she had an older brother, yet he didn't even care about her feelings. She also happened to have a good childhood friend, who forgot everything about her when he was promoted into an angel with a higher position.

All she wanted was love. And she found it here, in the human world, where sinful beings threaded their life path before meeting the end.

It was out of my logic, but I believed in her.

Ever since that fateful encounter, we were getting closer and closer. All my theories and beliefs about how angels were only fairytales evaporated into the thin air. She was my sanctuary, the rock in the middle of the storm, a tower from which I sought my solace. She was everything. And before I could do something, I had fallen deep into the ravine of love. I was irrevocably head over heels in love with her.

And one thing I would forever be grateful of was that she loved me too.

_And all I can taste in this moment_

_And all I can breathe is your life_

_And sooner or later, it's over_

_I just don't want to miss you tonight_

While life could seem to be a bed full of roses, there would be a day when the roses wilted and left nothing but dying petals and vicious thorns.

Not all realities are kind to you. You just have to be prepared to get any kind of fate, be it good or bad. In my case, fate had done enough to drive me insane and curse the heaven.

Love between human and angels was forever forbidden.

When I learned about it, I felt like my heart was crushed into uncountable pieces. I was fully aware that it might sound out of logic and strange, but why, why was it forbidden? Wasn't it…wasn't it only love that mattered? Even though we were not and would never be the same?

But reality refused to go just like Rukia and I wanted.

No matter how much we cared for each other, no matter how much we were in love with each other, it didn't matter. Angels are holy beings. Humans are sinful, dirty beings. There was no way a human could lay a finger on an angel and defile her. It was like committing a sin enough for three lifetimes.

I didn't understand why. I refused to understand why. Rukia loved living in this world. She felt belonged to this mortal world. Never even once she said that she wanted to go back to heaven.

She had become too attached in this world it was unimaginable to think of her leaving.

But the day had to come and she had to be back. The once exiled angel had to return to a place people thought she belonged to. The once my lover had to go away to a forever unreachable place. Her existence, her memories…would soon be gone together with the night wind into oblivion. No matter how much we tried, we just couldn't make a twist in our once beautiful life.

I didn't want to let her go.

Rukia knew this. The look on my face when she told me that she would be gone soon was enough to tell her to leave secretly without saying goodbye to me. She knew that goodbye meant goodbye, that all we once had would come to an end. She didn't want to end it. She left without saying goodbye, holding a small glint of hope that maybe someday, she would be able to be back to me.

She left without saying a word to me. One night, she was gone.

I quickly hit the road, desperately praying that she was still here, in the human world. I needed to see her once again, to touch her once again, to kiss her and assure her that it would be okay—she would never have to go back. I finally found her flying aimlessly in the air, eyes locked at the white full moon. The moonbeam fell on her beautiful face, showing her divine beauty. She had never looked more beautiful. Her wings slowly flapped, bringing her away into the darkness of the night.

I ran as fast as my legs allowed.

I called her name and she turned to look at me, her face was unfathomable. I screamed at her that I would never let her go, but she pleaded amidst her tears that she had to go or else I would be put in danger. Love between human and angel is a crime.

I didn't care. I loved her and if I had to suffer for loving an angel, I didn't care. I would happily receive all the torment and torture if it meant spending more time with the girl I had fallen in love so deeply with. I would accept all the punches and kicks if it meant I would be able to touch her once again. She was the moonlight that shone deep into my heart. She dried the rain in my world. She was a sanctuary, where I found peace and protection.

She saved me from everything that I couldn't be.

I was about to call her once again when the gate of heaven opened before my eyes majestically and two male angels came to take Rukia away. I could only see a brief bright light before she went into the world I could never reach. She was gone away. Forever.

Falling onto my knees, I felt hot tears sprang to my eyes. Rukia was gone. My angel, my shelter, my happiness, my moon…she had gone and left me in the darkness alone.

She had gone and protected me.

A soft, fluffy feather fell from the sky above. I fingered it carefully, knowing surely that it was one of Rukia's wings. It was wet of her tears. I stared at the tiny drops of crystal coloured tears lacing the fine white feathers and felt as if my throat was burned. Asphyxia came to take control of my body. A string of sobs escaped my lips as I held the pure feather close to my heart.

Angels never leave footprints, because they always fly.

But my angel left uncountable footprints in my heart that mingled together with the memories of her existence in my mind and the concrete truth of her love to me which came in the form of this small, white and precious feather.

_You can't fight the tears that ain't coming_

_Or the moment of truth in your life_

_When everything feels like the movie_

_You bleed just to know you're alive_

The world had decided that it would forget her existence.

The day after she left, all of my classmates officially held no memory of her. I received a handful of weird looks when I asked my classmates about someone named Kuchiki Rukia. They thought I was insane. Nobody with such a name had ever enrolled into our school. My friends wondered if I read too much manga.

I didn't. I just fell in love too much with an angel named Rukia.

It felt so wrong. It was all lie. My heart was wounded by unexplainable agony that numbed my body and soul. The scar it left would never heal even until death and beyond. Rukia was the only person I ever truly loved. Nobody else could ever make me feel this way.

It felt like a bad joke. Like a romance movie with a sad ending. I didn't want to believe any of it. Rukia stayed here. She didn't go anywhere.

But those were only my crazy fantasies.

I was fully aware that Rukia had gone to another world and she would never come back, no matter how much tears I cried or how loud I shouted to the heaven. I learned not to cry over her, instead I learned how to cherish her memories that were eternally fresh in my mind. I wanted to learn to remember her only with a smile, not forlornness and sorrow. I remembered her as an angel, smiling at me in the middle of the night, protecting me from the dangers lurking around the corners day and night. She was with me forever, my guardian angel.

_Rukia._

_You're my angel for eternity.

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"So, how was it?"

"Awesome." Ishida smirked as Inoue handed a bouquet of honeymoon tulips to my hands and from the tail of my eyes, I caught sight of Sado nodding approvingly. "I never knew that you are a great actor."

"That's all because of Shakespeare." I couldn't help but smirked back, thanking Inoue for the bouquet. I saw the names of my friends on the card—Inoue, Ishida, Tatsuki, Sado, Keigo, Mizuiro, Chizuru…and some others I couldn't see because the vermilion petals of the tulips covered them.

"Ah. I see."

"Where's the angel?" Tatsuki asked, looking around to search for the familiar raven tresses. She was nowhere in sight.

"She said she still has something to do in the changing room. Maybe she got problem with the angel wings. They are quite a trouble to detach." I replied nonchalantly.

"Oh, okay then." she shrugged, grinning a bit. "We'll be waiting outside, okay?"

"Sure." I replied, then quickly added, "I'll go there as soon as Rukia finishes with her business."

My friends only smiled understandingly then left. I waited outside Rukia's changing room, groaning playfully, "Rukia! Are you finished now? I'm tired of waiting!"

"Oh, shut up, Ichigo! You don't know how much of a pain these wings are!"

"Want me to help you?"

"Thanks, but supposedly you're not with me to help? I'm already in heaven, Ichigo."

I snorted, "Yeah, heaven, my foot. You're more of a devil, Rukia."

"If I'm a devil then what are you?" she giggled. "The devil of devils?"

A chuckle left my lips then I sighed. "I lied. You're not a devil."

"Ah. Finally. You understand now?" she replied triumphantly.

"You're not a devil." I smirked, blushing furiously. I thanked Kami-sama that she couldn't see me now. "Cause…you're my angel."

_I don't want the world to see me_

_Cause I don't think that they'd understand…

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**Author's note: Finally! :D The next chapter of Footprints! I really love the song Iris…I hope I did a good job there. By the way, this is so far the longest of Footprints series! This was quite hard to write…I apologise for any OOCness here. Anyway, please review!! Thanks a lot for reading (and reviewing, if you're willing to spend two minutes to tell me your two cents) and I hope you enjoy it! :) PS: Honeymoon tulips are the flowers my friend gave me and my other friends in choir after our concert a few weeks ago. It has interesting name so I decided to use it here.**

**PPS: I have a poll on my page about which story of mine I should publish first!! Please vote...thank you :)**


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